BINGHAMTON, NY – Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo, Senator Lea Webb, County Executive Jason Garnar, Sheriff Fred Akshar, City of Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham, the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator and the Binghamton University College of Community and Public Affairs (CCPA) announced the downtown entity to win the 5^th Annual Thanksgiving Food Challenge to benefit Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse (CHOW), a program of the Broome County Council of Churches.

From November 13-17, CHOW collection barrels were set up in each participant’s lobby. Community members and employees at the city, county, and state government levels, as well as at the Koffman Incubator and CCPA, donated over 14,000 community meals to local families in need through non-perishable food and cash donations.

Coming out on top this year with the most donations was Team University, comprised of the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator and the Binghamton University College of Community and Public Affairs, winning the coveted Golden Yam Can award.

For every dollar donated, CHOW is able to distribute 5 meals to families in need. In Broome County alone, 1 in 8 individuals and 1 in 6 children are food insecure. Each year, CHOW, through its network of nearly 100 partner agencies (pantries, community meals and non-profit organizations), distributes over 2.2 million pounds of food.